Reversible railroad-tie.



H. HARSH.

REVERSIBLE RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, WW.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

PA I

HOWARD HABSH, 0F OSAKIS, MINNESOTA.

REVERSIBLE RAILROAD-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. e,- rem.

Application filed February 17, 1917. Serial No. 149,351.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HOWARD HARsH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Osakis, in the county of Douglas and State of lllinnes'ota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ReversibleRaillowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to railroad ties and Y more'particularly to areversible cement tie.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a railroad tie ofthis character which consists of a pair of tie sections that are securedtogether, cushioning means being positioned between the sections so asto allow the tie sections a certain amount of elasticity and which willfunction the same as the wooden tie.

A further object of the invention is to provide each tie section withremovable railholding devices whereby when the tie sections have beenreversed bottom for top, the rail-holding devices may be again securedin position to clamp the rails in position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide each tie sectionwith rail-securing devices which may be adjusted to accommodate railflanges of various widths, and which may be adjusted vertically in theseadjusted positions to permit of the rails being shimined up.

With'these and other objects in view as will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention comprises various novel features orconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be morefully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my novel construction of reversiblerailroad, tie.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4; is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through theadjacent ends of the tie sections.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through one of the spike holdercasings.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken on the line 77 of Fig.3, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the spike holder adjusted toaccommodate a rail flange of larger width.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote like parts throughoutthe accompanying drawings and the following description.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1indicates a pair of tie sections comprising my novel construction ofreversible railroad tie, and while I prefer to have this tie constructedof cement, it is to beunderstood that it may be constructed of any othermaterial found desirable and best suited for the purpose. These tiesections are adapted to be secured together through the medium of spacedtie rods 2 that extend entirely through each of said sections and havetheir outer ends provided with retaining nuts 3 and lock washers 4 so asto securely hold said sections together. These tie rods pass throughpipe casings 5 arranged within each tie section which are providedat'their op posite ends with flanges 6, these pipe casings beingroughened on their-outer surfaces so as to prevent them from slipping,and if desired may be of non-circular contour in cross section.

I The adjacent ends of the tie sections are each provided with a pair ofmetallic sockets 7 that are arranged one above the other and designed toalternately receive a cushioning spring 8, said sockets being eachprovided with circumferential flanges 9 seated within the opposed facesof the tie sections.

The cushioning spring is designed to be normally arranged. in thelowcnpair of sockets and positioned between the adjacent ends of the tiesections is a wedge member 10. This wedge 10 is arranged at the topportion of the tie sections and is designed to be securely held in placeby the upper pair of tie rods passingthrough its opposite ends. When thewedge is arranged in this position it will serve to hold and maintainthe tie sections 1 in substantially rigid longitudinal alinement andprevent sagging of their inner adjacent ends and yet permit of a slightvertical vibratory movement of them due to the stress and theconcussions imparted thereto by the passage of heavy trains thereover.By this construction and tioned within the gagement therewith.

the cushion spring, it Will be obvious that the tie sections willpossess a certain amount of elasticity or that equivalent to that of theusual construction of wooden ties.

When the tie is reversed bottom for top, the cushioning spring and thewedge are also reversed so as to occupy the same relative position asshown.

Each tie section is provided adjacent its outer ends with a pair ofelongated spikeholding devices 11, each of which, as shown in Figs. 7and 8, is oblong in cross section and has one of its longitudinal sidesopen so as to accommodate a latch member 12 that is pivotally mounted atits lower end, as .indicated by the numeral 13, the upper end beingprovided with a set-screw 14.

Each of these latch members is further provided intermediate its endswith a shoulder 15 disposed on'its outer side and which is designed tolockingly engage within the recess 16 formed intermediate the ends of acasing 17, by off-setting or bulging the Walls of the casing outwardly.recess 16 extends around three sides of the casing, whereby the spikeholders may be adjusted around and arranged in three different positionswithin the casing.

WVhen it is desired to secure the rails 18 in position upon the tie, thespike holdersare inserted within the respective casings and theshoulders 15 engagewithin the recesses thereof, whereby the usual spikes19 may be driven down within the spike holders between the latch members12 and the inner wall of the spike holder until the read of each spikerests firmly upon the base flange of each rail. As soon as each spikehas been driven home, the set-screws 14 may be turned up so as to lockthe spikes in position and against accidental displacement or fromworking loose.

If it is desired to adjust the spike holders to accommodate a railhaving a base flange of a larger width, it is simply necessary toarrange the spike holders in the position shown in Fig. 8, from which itwillbe obvious that by reason of the spike holder being oblong and thecasing square, that the distance from the center of the rail to theshank of the spike will have been slightly increased or a sufficientamount to accommodate this base flange of larger width. By providing thecasing 17 with a recess extending around three sides thereof, the spikeholder may be adjusted horizontally in either direction and againposicasing and in locking en- It is also to be noted that by theparticular construction of spike holder shown, the rails may be shimmedup and the spikes ad- As shown, this intense j usted vertically andsubsequently locked in position by the set-screws 14 to hold the rall inadjusted position.

It will also be noted that since the recesses 16 are formed intermediatethe ends of the casings 1(, that when the tie has been reversed top forbottom, the spike holders can also be reversed and inserted from the themeeting ends of said sections and positioned adjacent the top portionthereof, cushioning means arranged between the meeting ends of saidsections and positioned adjacent the bottom portions thereof, and meansfor securing a pair of rails in position upon said tie.

3. A reversible railroad tie comprising a pair oftie sections, means forconnecting said sections together, a wedge removably positioned betweenthe tie sections, cushioning means removably positioned between themeeting ends of the tie sections, and railsecuring devices removablypositioned within each tie section, whereby the tie sections may bereversed top for bottom.

4. A reversible railroad tie comprising a pair of tie sections having apair of alining sockets in their opposed ends adjacent the bottomortions thereof, spacing means arranged etween the meeting ends of saidsections and positioned adjacent the top thereof, a cushion springarranged in said alining sockets, and means for securing said tiesections together.

5. A reversible railroad tie comprising a pair of tie sections having apair of alinin'g sockets adjacent the top and bottom portions of saidsections, removable spacing means arranged between the meeting ends andadjacent the top of said sections, a cushion spring removably arrangedin the lower pair of alining sockets, and means for securing said tiesections together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HOWARD HARSH.

Witnesses:

C. G. MILLARD, CLYDE W. LONG.

